Te Ratonga Takawaenga
Brokering Service
Our Brokering Service is made up of a team of experienced leadership coaches that play a critical role in this by working across the system to enable the development of leaders.
Purpose
Based out of the Leadership Development Centre the Brokering Service lifts Public Service leadership capability by:
- brokering development opportunities for Development Boards, leaders and agencies
- supporting agencies to coordinate efforts and build their capability to broker cross system development activities for leaders in Te Pae Turuki | Public Service Leaders Group (PSLG) roles
- raising the visibility of leaders who could be considered for cross system deployment and development opportunities in system priority areas.
Supporting Development Boards
Our Brokering Service is small and prioritises support for Development Boards.
The Brokering Service does this by:
- running inductions. Supporting agencies and leaders to understand Development Boards and the role these play in the development of leaders. We induct about 80 new cohort members a year
- helping connect leaders with opportunities that achieve their cross-system development goals
- being part of the secretariat for Development Boards. We provide advice, information and support on individual development needs, as well as the needs of the system
- providing feedback on the Development Board experience.
The Development Board cohort is made up of leaders from across the Public Service who are seeking system development opportunities. Leaders are nominated by their manager and agency and must meet criteria set by Te Kawa Mataaho to be accepted into the cohort. Agencies and managers remain involved in cohort members development, enhanced by development opportunities outside of their agency through the relevant Development Board.
Learn more about Te Pae Aramahi | Development Boards
Te Pae Aramahi | Development Boards (Public Service Commission Te Kawa Mataaho)
Inducting new Development Board cohort members
Within a month of being accepted onto a Development Board cohort, new Development Board cohort members are expected to reach out to our service for an induction.
The purpose of this induction is:
- to support you to understand what to expect from being supported by a Development Board and how to get the most out of the experience
- to support you in a timely way to explore cross system opportunities aligned with your development plan
- to refer you to people that can support you - like a coach to refine your aspirations.
The induction session will prepare you to have a discussion with your Board contact (usually a chief executive or deputy chief executive) before you are profiled at a Development Board meeting.
A member of the Brokering Service team attends each Development Board meeting and facilitates some actions that comes out of meetings. This may include working with your agency to connect you with chief executives or leaders, mentors or coaches.
Supporting agencies to develop PSLG leaders
Cross system development interventions for other leaders, such as being connected to another chief executive for a one-on-one meeting or shadowing, can be arranged by agencies themselves in most cases.
However, the Brokering Service can support agencies to coordinate efforts and build their capability to broker cross system development activities for other leaders. We take a specific focus on those in Te Pae Turuki | Public Service Leaders Group (PSLG) roles.
Learn more about Te Pae Turuki | Public Service Leaders Group.
Te Pae Turuki | Public Service Leaders Group (Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission)
Where we have capacity, we may:
- connect agencies looking for cross system development opportunities for leaders in PSLG roles
- promote possible matches to development opportunities across the system listed by agencies (or refer these to the Workforce Deployment team)
- share stories about best practice across the system.
The Brokering Service is well connected with agencies, HR teams, Heads of Profession and the Workforce Deployment team in the Public Service Commission, so we can support you to coordinate your efforts.
If you are a public service agency and would like some support from our Brokering Service, please email: info@ldc.govt.nz
Brokering support for chief executives/system priorities
Where it has capacity, the Brokering Service can also respond to chief executive and agency requests to identify senior leaders who could be considered for interagency redeployment into temporary roles or encouraged to apply for merit based permanent roles.
Our focus for this type of support is based on system priorities, examples include:
- Increasing the visibility of underrepresented leaders.
- Identifying leaders who have specific skills and may be willing to be redeployed to respond to national emergencies.
- Connecting agencies with leaders who want to grow specific skills and capabilities through cross-system opportunities e.g a new cross Public Service taskforce.
If you are a public service agency and would like some support from our Brokering Service, please email: info@ldc.govt.nz
Recent examples
Enabling cross-agency development
Maeve Neilson
When Maeve Neilson started her new role as General Manager, Health Safety and Security at Ministry of Justice in 2019 she remembers being asked by HR to complete a talent profile to enable her to be supported by a cross public service Career Board (now known as Development Boards). Maeve initially had low expectations that Board support might lead to anything but completed it anyway and was told someone would be in touch. As a leader with both drive and commitment to growing a stronger public service she had a personal development goal focused on stretch, growth, and being outside her comfort zone in a new areas or leading new functions.
Today, Maeve is fulfilling those goals on secondment as the acting Deputy Chief Executive, Strategy and Engagement at the Serious Fraud Office. A role that was brokered by LDC’s Brokering Service, on behalf of the Development Boards.
Stretching herself at Serious Fraud Office
Maeve has relished the opportunities her secondment has given her so far but admits it’s not a role she would have ever considered if not for the support of both the Development Boards and LDC. She’s been exposed to new and different areas to her substantive role such as leading the communications and policy functions, taking accountability for the deliverables to the Minister, and managing a wider justice sector fraud strategy. She has also gained plenty of perspective as she is now accountable for products that she previously only contributed to.
“It’s given me perspective and helped solidify what’s important to me. It’s also expanded my mind and awareness of what I’m capable of. I’ve gained a whole heap of skills but it’s also made me realise that I had skills and knowledge in areas I didn’t think I had”.
Her advice to other Development Board cohort members
“Be very clear on what you’re looking for in terms of the development opportunities you want because you don’t want the wrong fit. If you’re just looking to move a layer up, you may not be looking at it from a development perspective. Think about ‘What are you missing? What do I need from an opportunity? Is it coaching, leading a project or cross-agency experience? Be curious.”
When you get the opportunity, Maeve encourages leaders to make the most that they can out of it and be clear about what you want to achieve.
“This secondment really gave me the opportunity to build my skillset so when I apply for roles I can be really confident in my abilities. I also think about what I can bring back to my home agency. I can bring back this system thinking, and across my peer group a perspective of working as a collective unit to support the organisational direction”.
Brokering support for chief executives
Karen Chang, Chief Executive, Serious Fraud Office
Karen contacted the Brokering Service for help when the Serious Fraud Office was looking for a new Deputy Chief Executive. They needed a leader to start quickly to give them time to recruit for the role permanently and Karen was keen to both tap into the skills and capabilities of other leaders across the Public Service and provide a development opportunity.
Karen found talking to an experienced LDC leadership coach useful in the early stages to tease out what she envisioned for role and solidify her thinking. Together they explored the must-haves in terms of skills, background and experience. More importantly, Karen was also able to convey the mindset, attitude, and temperament she was looking for. In her small organisation, she needed someone who was prepared to roll up their sleeves, be energetic and open minded.
“The Brokering Service and their attentiveness, that human element really made the difference in this case. This was a great opportunity for someone to step into a Deputy Chief Executive role. They get to interact with Ministers and be part of the executive leadership team (ELT). It’s a unique experience to get this level of leadership. They also got to shape a new function and there was quite a lot of scope to make it their own.”
Through multiple discussions the Brokering Service was able to suggest a range of capable leaders who were potentially open to the opportunity, which resulted in a short-term secondment.